Archive
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Update: A420 still closed at Besselsleigh after fire
THE A420 is still closed tonight following a fire at a thatched cottage in Besselsleigh. The road has been closed since about 5.45pm. Updates will be posted automatically on our Live Traffic Service.
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The A34 has reopened after three vehicle crash this afternoon
THE A34 northbound has re-opened following a three vehicle smash this afternoon. Police closed the road between the Peartree interchange and the junction for Islip at about 3.45pm and it was reopened at 6.45pm. Two lorries and a car were involved
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Scales of Justice
People convicted of offences at Oxford Magistrates' Court recently: Terry Wakeling, 33, of Upper Barr, Cowley, Oxford, admitted stealing clothing worth £343.91 from TK Maxx and going equipped for theft in Templars Square, Oxford, on February 8.
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Shopping plans make food bank homeless
THE Oxford Food Bank, which provides produce for up to 1,000 meals every day, has only been at its current base for six months. But it’s on the hunt for a new home after a multi-million-pound redevelopment of the area was announced. The charity
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Beer fans make a beeline for festival
REAL ale enthusiasts will raise a glass and funds for charity at an annual beer festival in Witney’s parish church. The Witney Beer Festival, at St Mary’s Church in Church Green on Saturday, runs from noon until 10pm. It will feature 30 different
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Update: A34 will not be fully open until 7pm plus picture of the crash scene
THE A34 northbound is unlikely to be fully open until 7pm following a crash between two lorries and a car. The Highways Agency is claiming the northbound carriageway remains shut tonight but at the scene police have cordoned off the crash scene
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Now he's caring for the river
Reg Little talks to Dr Dick Mayon-White about his book on the nature reserves of the Thames The 50-year love affair began for Dick Mayon-White back in his days as a medical student at St Thomas’s Hospital. In moments of stress or boredom as a young
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Swords and words will woo Welsh
CEREMONIAL swords will be brandished and poetry recited at a special event celebrating Welsh culture in Oxford. In light of falling numbers of applicants from Wales to Oxford University, its Welsh society – known as Dafydd Ap Gwilym after a 14th
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Now he's caring for the river
Reg Little talks to Dr Dick Mayon-White about his book on the nature reserves of the Thames The 50-year love affair began for Dick Mayon-White back in his days as a medical student at St Thomas’s Hospital. In moments of stress or boredom as a young
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Politicians are in his sights
Reg Little meets the master of Magdalen College School, soon to be the voice of the world’s independent schools The master of Magdalen College School, Dr Tim Hands, is looking forward to the academic year ahead. when he will effectively become
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Update: More firefighters sent to blaze at thatched cottage
FIRE crews are expected to be on the scene of a thatched cottage blaze until the early hours of tomorrow morning. Up to 50 firefighters have been battling the blaze at the cottage on the A420 in Besselsleigh, but this will reduce to about 20 firefighters
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Macky's Morsels: What's new on Oxford's restaurant scene
THE Fishes in North Hinksey and their friends at Aspall Farm are preparing to launch a new Cyder Garden in preparation for a (hopefully) glorious summer. Dotted with sunny and shady spots, the garden’s outside bar serves up chilled Aspall Cyder
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Qick Fiz: Zappi's Bike Cafe
Lack of wheels didn’t stop KATHERINE MACALISTER enjoying the delights of Oxford’s very own bike cafe There were no sweaty men in lycra when I got to Zappi’s Cafe in St Michael’s Street this week. “You have to come in on a Saturday for that,” the
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Man charged with arson with intent to endanger life
A man has been charged in connection with an incident of arson. Mark Coombes, aged 48 of no fixed address, was today charged with arson with intent to endanger life. The charge relates to a fire at a property in Stert Street, Abingdon, on April
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Comic timing: a celebration of comics
Liz Nicholls on a family-friendly event this weekend celebrating the joy of comics Boredom? KAZOW! Struggles with learning to read? ZOOSH! Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? SHAZAM! (okay, that’s enough now...) The trigger
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Judge reminds jury of woman's drug claims
A JUDGE has this afternoon reminded a jury how a young woman claimed a man got her addicted to drugs before making her have sex for more. Judge Peter Rook was summing up the Oxford child sex exploitation trial at the Old Bailey for third day.
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Tyre tracks: In the saddle for a bike-powered show
Audience participation is the key to a new bicycle powered show for families as KATHERINE MACALISTER discovers Frantically peddling away on a bicycle, the gramophone next to stage manager Jake Oxford winds itself up, powered by his speed, until
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Dads run 100 miles for pre-school
FOUR dads are tackling a 100-mile run tomorrow to raise money for their children’s pre-school. Appleton residents Andy Queralt, 38, Rob Ford, 44, Rob Demain, 36, and Malcolm Bradbrook, 40, are running 25 miles each. They are starting from The Plough
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Curtain raisers: Theatre news
An Evening of Dirty Dancing will take place at The Mill in Banbury this evening. The concert celebrates one of the most popular cult-pop films of the 20th century – it’s a singing and dancing extravaganza that features the likes of Do You Love
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Oxford Revue: Running gags
KATHERINE MACALISTER talks to the president of Oxford Revue about keeping up the comedy legacy Will Truefitt is very aware of the legacy of humour he has inherited, and its mantle presses down on him at every opportunity. But Will views his position
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Looking ahead to Artweeks
SARAH MAYHEW looks forward to the burst of creativity that heralds Artweeks Creativity blossoms across the county for the 31st year as Oxfordshire Artweeks enters its fourth decade. And just as daffodils multiply year on year, so do the artists
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Gaz Coombes is bringing it all back home
Life after Supergrass is busy for Gaz Coombes, though, he tells TIM HUGHES, he wouldn’t have it any other way For any musician, the decision to leave the band and go it alone is a huge one. But when you are as big as Supergrass it’s nothing less
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Take a Punt for Oxford's best new music
TIM HUGHES previews a one-night festival showcasing Oxford’s talent around the city We all know it’s hard to keep on top of a music scene as vibrant as Oxford’s. There are just so many bands, too many venues, and not enough days in the week
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UPDATE: A34 to be closed for two hours after three vehicle crash
PART of the A34 is expected to be closed for another two hours following a three vehicle smash. Police closed the A34 northbound between the Peartree interchange and the junction for Islip following the crash between two lorries and a car at 3.54pm
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Apprentice on cloud nine after award win
A HIGH-FLYING apprentice at a Kidlington firm is celebrating after winning a major award. Gordon Coombes saw off competition from 170 rivals across the county to claim the ‘best fourth year apprentice’ honour from the Oxford & District Engineering
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Profile: Sir Christopher Ball
Reading Sir Christopher Ball’s entry in Wikipedia, it is hard to believe he has managed to cram so much into one lifetime. The 78-year-old former warden of Keble College has had a glittering career in academia, including a knighthood for services
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F1 racers Williams revved up for expansion despite £5m loss
BOSSES at the company behind an Oxfordshire Formula 1 racing team are gearing up for further expansion, despite announcing significant losses. Williams Grand Prix Holdings, based in Grove, unveiled a pre-tax loss of £5m for the year ended December
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Residents vow to save green space from developers
COUNCILLORS will be lobbied by residents planning to ensure a well-used community green space is retained when their corner of Bicester is redeveloped. Neighbours are concerned any development in Old Place Yard could swallow the only piece of green
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Quad Ralk: Where exactly was my invitation to the illuminati?
One thing that people tend to assume about going to Oxford is that afterwards your life is just one long escalade of privilege and opportunities, with opened doors and special favours that place Oxonians at the head of public and private industries
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Tom Jennings: 'I write for the victim’s family'
Driving to the memorial garden before a repatriation ceremony is a dreadful experience. It is a feeling of rising nausea. You turn the long bend in Monahan Way and then see the Union Flag standing at half-mast. You know that two hours ago a plane landed
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Highlights: Pop, rave, hip-hop, Gaz and... The Punt!
Pop SIMPLE MINDS New Theatre Oxford Tonight Tickets from atgtickets.com One of the biggest bands of the ’80s return to the New Theatre tonight as part of a 28-date tour to promote their Greatest Hits collection
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Soundbites: On board for The Punt and rockin' down at the farm
Tim Hughes looks forward to two eclectic mini-festivals - the Oxford Punt and Cogges Manor Farm's Music For All FOR lovers of new local music, it’s the big night of the year: The Oxford Punt. Set up by Ronan Munro of Oxford’s free music monthly
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Temple worshippers rewarded: Michael Schenker @ O2 Academy Oxford
Mark Taylor bows down before at Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock The hurricane that is Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock blew into Oxford and whipped up such a storm that it nearly took the roof off the 02 Academy. Too many guitarists use
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Security van alarm goes off because of forgetful driver
A SECURITY van alarm accidentally went off in a busy city centre street today after its drivers didn't shut the door properly. Police were called at 11.09am to the van, which was parked outside the Clarendon Centre in Queen Street because it’s
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A Simple overview: Simple Minds - Celebrate
Simple Minds Celebrate Virgin Records I LOST count of the number of times I stood on the dancefloor of those cavernous disco sheds in the mid-1980s shouting ‘hey, hey hey, hey’ after hearing the first few bars of Don
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OMD: Unique band are manoeuvring smartly
OMD were like nothing else on the planet. Tim Hughes talks to the group’s frontman It’s the fag end of the 1970s and pop is on the brink of a revolution. Punk may have killed off the worst excesses of prog rock, but in the clubs a new sound is
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Football fan unhappy
I AM currently doing research for a book about the football grounds of the United Kingdom and have visited some of the biggest clubs and roughest towns, but I have to say, there was nowhere worse than Oxford. I attended the Rochdale game at the
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Informed dissent alive
BETTY Woodley (ViewPoints, April 26) tells Steve Bennett to “leave the city council to do its job”. Quite apart from the vital element in any democracy of Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches the watchmen?), Mr Bennett’s letters to the
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TODAY'S BIG ISSUE: Should advertising targeted at children be banned?
NO: Colin Cather, marketing director at Bottle PR, Eynsham I didn’t want a bike, I wanted a Raleigh Chopper. I don’t remember seeing any adverts for the coolest kids’ bike in a generation, but suddenly everyone had it so I wanted it too. And
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Wiping off our debt
SOMEONE said to me the other day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Government gave Oxfordshire County Council £53m to use to repair our roads and if they did a good job within a certain time, give the council a further £23m as a bonus? Each day
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Magnet is insensitive
WITH the row over the Port Meadow blocks still unresolved, the Magnet proposal looks like being Oxford’s next major planning controversy. Exciting as the idea of a science discovery centre might be, the site at the corner of New Road and Tidmarsh
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NHS safety paramount
IT IS disappointing that your article about the Horton General Hospital states that the delay to consultation is because we wish to define our ‘spending priorities’. This is not the case. Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG), which is
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Blavatnik design leaves street lacking cohesion
ACCORDING to your report on the proposed Blavatnik School of Government in Walton Street (April 26), the school and its patron are hoping to make a bold statement, a modern counterpart of the Radcliffe Camera, and if the city’s planning committee makes
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THE INSIDER: Mobility scooter 'road hog' creates traffic chaos
THE term “road hog” is often applied to drivers of fast cars, but The Insider has found a new breed. This mobility scooter user, right, was spotted in the outside lane of the Eastern Bypass, and has been part-blamed for congestion in the area on Tuesday
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Tortoise in a jam rescued from road
A SHELL-SHOCKED tortoise almost came a cropper when it tried to cross a busy main road. But luckily for the rambling reptile, eagle-eyed Simon Davison, 27, and his friend Adam Smith, 29, saw it stepping down off the kerb in East Challow as the
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Oxford Folk Weekend left us smiling
Charlotte Krol and Tim Hughes are impressed by the freewheelin' fun on offer at Oxford's Folk Weekend It’s hard to believe Oxford Folk Weekend is only two years young. This polished re-imagining of the old Oxford Folk Festival is slick, professional
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Rudimental: Band touch bass with positivity
Tim Hughes is impressed by a down-to-earth Rudimental as they hit chart heights Rudimental are unstoppable. Already riding high on a wave of excitement for their brand of melodic vocal drum ‘n’ bass, a couple of weeks ago saw them grabbing the
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A Secret Triumph: Secret Rivals - Just Fall
Tim Hughes says the secret is out for one of Oxford's best new bands, who release their stunning debut album Secret Rivals Just Fall Standard Tandoori Call me jaded, but it’s rare that I get as excited by the prospect
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Magdalen College School head accuses Gove over education reforms
A SCATHING attack on coalition education policies has been mounted by the head of a leading Oxford public school. Dr Tim Hands, the master of Magdalen College School, accused Education Secretary Michael Gove of pushing through damaging reforms
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A Midsummer Night's Dream: Royal&Derngate, Northampton
FIVE STARS Director Gary Sefton’s gloriously inventive productions for Northampton's Royal & Derngate of the comic novels Travels With My Aunt and Diary of a Nobody are now followed by his masterly and consistently rib-tickling take on
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Jury should not "jump to conclusions" in Oxford child sex abuse trial
JURORS have been told not to "jump to conclusions" about child sex suspects who did not defend themselves at the Old Bailey. Brothers Akhtar and Anjum Dogar did not give evidence against charges including rape and arranging child prostitution.
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Business award winners bask in glory
BUSINESSES across North Oxfordshire have been celebrating their successes in the annual Cherwell Business Awards. A host of Bicester and Banbury firms took part in the event at Rye Hill Golf Club in Banbury. Among the winners was youth charity
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Oxford United: Factfiles on the dozen released
United’s released players - a review Damian Batt – 177 appearances for United, 3 goals. Of the dozen released, the right back has made the most appearances for United. The 28-year-old signed from Grays Athletic in January 2009 and
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All change for bin collections
SOUTH Oxfordshire residents are being advised that bin collection days will change as a result of the two bank holidays in May. The first bank holiday is on Monday, with all landfill collections running one day late that week. There will be
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Chance for readers to shape future of the Oxford Mail
READERS are still needed to take part in focus groups to help shape the future of the Oxford Mail. We are looking for people to tell us what they think about the newspaper and help us to shape its future. As a result, three focus groups will
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Help needed with boundary walk
Volunteers are needed to steward Charlbury's annual parish boundary walk on Sunday. The walk starts at 10am from the old oak tree in the B4437 Forest Road and follows the parish boundary on land not normally open to the public. It should finish
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Voters go to the polls across Oxordshire
Voters across the county are going to the polls today to elect their county councillors. Polling stations in all 61 divisions of the county opened at 7am. By 10pm, thousands of votes will have been cast for candidates hoping to be one of the
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Straw hut destroyed by fire
FIREFIGHTERS were in East Oxford this morning tackling a blaze in a straw hut. The hut was in the garden of a house in Ridgefield Road and the cause is not known. Oxfordshire’s fire service was called at around 6am and no one was injured.
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Oxford United release 12 players
OXFORD United have chosen to release 12 first-team players following face-to-face discussions this morning. All were out of contract this summer and have been told they will not be offered new terms. Peter Leven, Michael Duberry and Tom Craddock
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Robber threw trousers away
A ROBBER took off his trousers and threw them away as he fled with cash from a knife-point raid at the Co-op in Banbury. Thames Valley Police yesterday appealed for witnesses to the robbery by two men between 9.48pm and 9.57pm on April 18 to come
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BAR BILLIARDS: Godfrey ensures passage through
OXFORD A moved into the third round of the Inter-Area Cup after knocking out a strong Wallingford A side 7-3 on aggregate. The result was never really in doubt with Oxford holding a 4-1 advantage from the first leg. Although losing the first
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BOWLS: Oxford club open doors
OXFORD City & County will hold a taster day on Saturday to give people the chance to give bowls a go. The free day will take place at their Marston Ferry Road rink from 10-1. All equipment will be provided and it is open to all ages.
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RUGBY: College teams up with clubs
ABINGDON and Witney College have teamed up with local clubs to launch the Oxfordshire Rugby Academy. The scheme links the college with Oxford Rugby League, Oxford Harlequins and Witney RFC, encouraging students to keep playing rugby. No matter
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ATHLETICS: O'Connor's home win
BRIAN O’Connor returned to form to win the Blenheim 7K on Sunday. The Woodstock Harrier triumphed on his club’s home turf, completing the multi-terrain course in 25mins 23secs. PAUL Fernandez had to be content with a top-ten finish in the Highland
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Police describe raid on homes of pair in drugs trial
POLICE officers yesterday described to an Oxford Crown Court drugs trial jury how they raided the homes of two 35-year-old suspects on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. Mark Johnson, of Weymann Terrace, Cowley, and Michael Krah, of Stowford Road, Barton
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‘Spellbound’ wife goes free as husband jailed
RHIANNA Thomas could have been starting a prison sentence today for illegally receiving more than £55,000 and buying herself a new car. Instead, the 24-year-old walked free from Oxford Crown Court after a judge said she had fallen “under the spell
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RUGBY UNION: Oxbridge on song
NICK Gardner captained Oxbridge Under 23s to a resounding 69-24 victory over their Combined Services counterparts at Twickenham. The Dark Blues’ Varsity Match winning hooker led the mixed Oxford and Cambridge University in an 11-try demolition.
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RUGBY UNION: Witney are champions
WITNEY were crowned Littlemore Tens champions after hammering Vintage Quins in the final. Their younger legs proved decisive in a 38-5 victory. Hillarians, a mix of past and present St Edmund Hall students, beat Oxford Harlequins 24-15 in the
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ATHLETICS: Woodcock bags top treble
TEAM Oxfordshire finished second in their opening Youth Development League Midland Premier 2 clash at Horspath. The composite side, featuring under 17 and under 20 athletes from Abingdon Amblers, Radley, White Horse Harriers and Oxford City, were
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RUGBY UNION: Wallingford make it six titles in a row
WALLINGFORD Under 14s won the Oxfordshire Cup for a sixth successive year after beating Banbury 17-0 on home soil in the final. The have lifted the county cup at every age group since 2008 and are now Wallingford’s most successful junior side.
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How banking has grown to be impersonal
Too big to fail. That was the cry of the regulators five years ago as we watched the then Government dig itself ever deeper into debt to bail out some of our banks. But a short whizz round a few Oxford buildings that once were, or in some cases
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Grill Academy: Marsh Baldon
‘Where have you been?” the kids ask as we arrive through the door laden down with Weber bags. “We’ve been on a barbecue course,” Mr Greedy explained. “But I thought you knew how to cook burgers and sausages?” my youngest responded, which was the very
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CRICKET: Oxford foiled by Mitchell magic
Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell hit a fluent century as Oxford MCCU found wickets hard to come by on day one in The Parks. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Mitchell made 118 off 180 balls, with 17 fours, to set Worcestershire on
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Oxford United's extra edge brings cup joy
Oxford Utd 4 (Ashby 48, Marsh 65, Pittman 96, Roberts 120) Oxford City 2 (Cook pen 25, Barcelos 68) (after extra time) It took goals from Jon-Paul Pittman and James Roberts in extra time for Oxford United to finally see off a determined
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ATHLETICS: Harris proving a fast learner
OXFORD’S Charlotte Harris marked her rapid progress in duathlon with a silver medal at the European Champion-ships. And now the 30-year-old, who focused on running until last year, is hoping to compete at the sport’s world championships in Ottawa
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RUGBY UNION: Eckert's proud of repeat show
GROVE captain James Eckert was a proud man to lead his side to promotion – 11 years after achieving that feat first time around. A young Eckert scored a try as Grove beat Oakmedians in the Southern Counties play-off on April 27, 2002. And he
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A bridge over untroubled water as May Morning passes peacefully
THOUSANDS of revellers were on best behaviour for yesterday’s May Morning celebrations in Oxford. A heavy security presence at Magdalen Bridge thwarted potential troublemakers and there was no repeat of chaotic scenes which have marred previous
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A pioneer college, not elitist
Balliol may have a reputation for elitism — there was that unfortunate remark by Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, himself a graduate of the college, about Balliol men engendering “a tranquil consciousness of effortless superiority” — but in truth the
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RACING: Double for Hill
Aston Rowant trainer Alan Hill landed a double at Cheltenham’s hunter chase meeting last night with Harbour Court (7-2) and Mid Div And Creep (3-1). Celia Plunkett, who trains at Wigginton, near Chipping Norton, struck with 50-1 shot Himalayan
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Downton Abbey merchandise to feature Bampton
BAMPTON residents have welcomed the prospect of their home featuring in the merchandising for hit TV series Downton Abbey, which is partly filmed in the village. A line of as-yet-unspecified merchandise is due to go on sale later this year.
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Julian Clary in Oxford tonight
Julian Clary may be a dangerous mixture of funny and frank, but the ‘queen of innuendo’ still has the same compulsion as all comedians to get up on stage and make people laugh. That Julian does it in his own imitable style, carving a niche for his
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Bicester town centre revamp on target for July opening
The £70m town centre redevelopment is on target to open in July, it was confirmed last night. The redevelopment includes a Sainsbury’s supermarket, Vue cinema, shops and restaurants, a 500-space car park and new bus interchange. The supermarket
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Theatre highlights for May 2
Musical theatre An EVENING OF DIRTY DANCING The Mill Theatre, Banbury n Tonight, 7.30pm Box office: 01295 279002 This celebration of one of the most popular cult-pop films of the 20th century, goes on stage tonight with a colourful song-and-dance
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Day 53: Thursday, May 2
Crime reporter Ben Wilkinson is at the Old Bailey this morning Judge Rook to continue summing up the #Oxford exploitation case at Old Bailey on day 53. Recapping evidence from Girl 3 and 4. — @Ben_Wilkinson_ 02 May 2013
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Competition probe over £47m cinema deal
CINEWORLD is facing a potential full competition investigation over its £47m takeover of arthouse cinema chain Picturehouse, which owns the Phoenix Picturehouse in Oxford. The Office of Fair Trading has referred the planned acquisition to the Competition
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Developer levy plans under scrutiny
PLANS to shake up the way developers pay contributions towards local services in Oxford will be examined by a planning inspector. Oxford City Council hopes to replace existing “section 106 payments” with the Government’s new community infrastructure
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Council could flout its own height guidelines with Blavatnik building
IT IS the planning guideline intended to protect Oxford’s historic skyline. It is even named after one of the city’s oldest towers. But Oxford City Council’s own officers have decided to overrule their own principles to pave the way for a controversial
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COMMENT: Get this decision right first time
WE put the councillors on Oxford City Council’s west area planning committee and their officers on notice today that we will not tolerate another farce like the Castle Mill development close to Port Meadow. Planning officers have recommended that
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Marsh and Crocombe sign for Oxford United
Tyrone Marsh and Max Crocombe have signed new contracts to stay at Oxford United and decisions on the future of 17 senior players will be made today. The 19-year-olds have both made their first-team debuts this season, and the U’s have taken out
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Two court bids to stop incinerator fail
BICESTER: Two High Court bids to stop a second incinerator being built nine miles away have failed. On Monday, Mr Justice Lindblom dismissed both applications for a judicial review of plans for a waste burner at Calvert.
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Palace closed for filming of Kate Winslet's new movie
BLENHEIM Palace was closed to the public yesterday for the filming of a new British drama starring Kate Winslet. A Little Chaos, which is being directed by actor Alan Rickman, will also be filmed at the stately home in Woodstock today and tomorrow
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Traffic problems cause May Day mayhem
TRANSPORT bosses last night said there was nothing they could have done to avoid “horrific” traffic gridlock across Oxford yesterday. A combination of emergency repairs, road closures, an accident and a broken-down vehicle caused problems across
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BULLFINCH TRIAL DAY 52: Jury given reminder of claims of abuse
JURORS were reminded yesterday of the stories of two young women who told the Old Bailey that as children they were given alcohol and bullied into sex. The jury heard a summary of evidence from alleged victims of a child sex gang who claim they
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Delays on A420 after car crashes into ditch
THERE are reports of delays along the A420 after a car went into a ditch on the eastbound carriageway. Only one car was involved in the accident and no one was injured. Police officers did not attend the scene and the male driver is arranging his
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 2/5/2013)
Patrick White is Australia's sole winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, yet local film-makers have fought shy of bringing his complex works to the screen. Plays like A Cheery Soul (1966); Big Toys (1980 and The Ham Funeral (1990) have been adapted
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 2/5/2013)
As regular readers of this column will know, the BFI is in a rich vein of form at the moment. In addition to its occasional feature releases, it also issues priceless collections of shorts and featurettes produced by such national treasures as the
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Polling stations open across county
VOTERS in their thousands go to the polls today to choose their county representatives. A total of 63 councillors will be elected in 61 divisions across Oxfordshire, with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm. It comes after party leaders
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Bus company opens new travel shop
OXFORD Bus Company has opened a new city centre shop to cope with booming demand for its travelcard, the Key. Since the rechargeable smart card was launched in 2010, more than 100,000 people have signed up to get one and nearly half of all the
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School centre aims to bring Latin to life
A CHARITY dedicated to enriching young minds through Latin and the classics is to open a permanent home at an Oxford school. Cheney School has allocated space for the Iris project to open the East Oxford Community Classics Centre. It will host
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COMMENT: Make your voice heard - by voting
THE polls open this morning and to those unsure about voting we point to controversial issues like the Castle Mill farce. Of course, that was a city council bungle and the elections today are, in the main, for Oxfordshire County Council, but the
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Community foundation's drive to boost volunteering through ping pong
STAFF at a Kidlington publishers swapped their pens for table tennis bats to ‘Get Batty’ for a school, as part of Oxfordshire Community Foundation’s (OCF) drive to boost volunteering. OCF launched Get Batty last year to encourage fundraising through
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Champagne reception not ideal for our fussy princess
Sunday night’s superbly made episode of ITV’s Morse spin-off, Endeavour, was much concerned with a visit to an Oxford missile factory by Princess Margaret. As catering arrangements were discussed in the opening moments, the word ‘refreshments’ was
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Why we can't restore the old county boundaries
‘And who could forget the Soke of Peterborough?” wrote Paul Hornby, of Oxford, on the letters page of the Daily Telegraph last Friday. Who indeed? Certainly not the present writer who was born and brought up in this quaintly named area of eastern England
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Hunger means plot thickens
Mr Rotavator was down the plot this week. My favourite piece of kit rolled off the back of the truck and, after a few faltering tugs, spat a couple of puffs of smoke and jumped into life. I was dragged around the patch like an England winger
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Preview of the Newbury Spring Festival
What does opera composer Richard Wagner have in common with clarinettist Acker Bilk? The answer is that both appear in the billings for this year’s Newbury Spring Festival. So what, I ask festival director Mark Eynon, does he think Wagner would have
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On the Horizon May 2
Theatre THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, near Newbury May 21-June 1 at 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees Saturday and Thursday (1.30pm June 1) Box office: 01635 46044 (watermill.org.uk) The Watermill Theatre joins
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TV's Fanny helped 'do' for the toast rack
Another topic that has provoked a lively correspondence in the Daily Telegraph recently has been the disappearance from the nation’s breakfast tables of the toast rack. It began with the lament of one reader, who wrote to say the devices were vital
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Oxfordshire Artweeks previewed
As it enters its fourth decade this year Artweeks is even bigger and busier than ever. With more than 500 exhibitions and 1,000 artists and craftspeople taking part, this is both an event that one could not miss and indeed one should not miss. And